1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure provides an ice skate. More particularly, the present disclosure provides an ice skate including a casing with a cantilevered sole plate.
2. Description of Related Art
Ice skates for figure skating, also known as figure skates, are well-known. As shown in FIG. 1, prior art figure skate 10 includes boot 12 and attached blade 14. Boot 12 is formed of leather upper 15 with laces 16 to tighten upper 15 with a tongue (not shown) about a user's foot (not shown). Boot 12 further includes sole 17 with 1½″ heel 18 therebelow at the rear end. Heel 18 allows skate 10 to have pitch angle δ between top surface S of sole 17 at heel 18 and horizontal plane H parallel to the ground/ice of between about 5 degrees to about 9 degrees.
Blade 14 is formed of metal and includes toe pick 20, three stanchions 22, toe plate 24, and heel plate 26. Stanchions 22 extend from toe plate 24 and heel plate 26, which each include apertures (not shown) for receiving up to twelve screws (not shown). Thus, blade 14 is removably connected to sole 17 of boot 12 in the toe/ball area and the heel area. Arch support is provided by a separate foot bed insert (not shown).
Beginning skaters experience various problems due to the configuration of conventional skates. For advanced or elite skaters, with the increased demands of jumping, these problems are multiplied. Jumps require greater ankle support as a result; advanced skaters wear prior art skates with several layers of leather and padding around the ankle between these layers. This increases stiffness of the skates and increases their weight. The stiffness provides ankle support, but decreases forward bendability and shock absorption. Upon landing jumps, prior art figure skates do not have any shock absorption qualities other than cushioning on the inside of the boot.
Heel 18 on boot 12 can cause retrocalcaneal bursitis (also known as “pump bumps” or Haglund's deformity), shin splints, bunions, hammer toes, ankle and lower calf tendonitis, back and hip pain, instances of enlarged navicular bone in the arch potentially leading to collapsed arches, knee tracking problems, and arthritis.
In addition, the prior art skates are heavy, weighing up to six pounds each. Thus, these skates require skaters to have the endurance and strength to jump lifting this additional weight. Prior art blades weigh from about 4.5 ounces to about 7 ounces. Furthermore, since leather absorbs water, the weight of the skates increases with wear. If the weight is more than 5% of the skater's weight, it could potentially increase the skater's risk of injury.
Rust and leather rot are also common with conventional figure skates. These conditions lead to disintegration of the blade and boot, which decreases the life of both.
A lot of maintenance is necessary to maintain these skates in good working order. For example, these skates must be dried thoroughly inside and out after each use, stored in a place with good air circulation, the leather soles must be waxed, and the uppers must be waxed or polished. In addition, the soles must be frequently inspected for rot, screws must be replaced, hole damage repaired, and the blades must be sharpened. It is desirable to reduce the amount of maintenance necessary to keep skates in good working order.
The stress imparted on the blade and boot connection loosens over time and may shorten boot and blade life. If the blade and boot connection fails, the boot can be damaged. As a result, frequent inspections of this connection are routine.
Since each skater has different needs and preferences, advanced skates have handmade boots. The handmade nature of the boots causes nearly 20% of them to be defective, which may lead to substandard skate performance and foot damage. Furthermore, since blades and boots are not sold as a unit, advanced skaters must purchase their blades and boots separately. Then, an expert has to mount the blades to the boots. This requires added time and money.
One drawback of these prior art skates is that the leather upper must be broken in. This is when the leather is stretched by a user wearing the boot until it conforms to the shape of the skater's foot and ankle. Breaking in skates can be time consuming and painful. If boots are not broken in properly, they can crease in the wrong places causing pain and improper support of the foot and ankle. Even when boots are broken in properly, the leather upper is stiff and somewhat uncomfortable.
The industry standard for boot replacement depends on how much a skate is used. For advanced or elite skaters, who use their skates more, replacement is recommended every 6 to 12 months. For beginner skaters, who use their skates less, replacement is recommended every 12-18 months. Wearing a boot beyond these recommended time frames may cause “lace bite” and other health issues. “Lace bite” is the name for calluses and bursitis on the top of the foot caused by tongue breakdown.
Therefore a need exists for improving the comfort and performance of ice skates. More particularly, a need exists for ice skates that support foot, ankle, knee, hip and back health. In addition, a need exits for a skate that lasts longer, requires less maintenance, and can have more automation in the manufacturing process.